The placement season in engineering colleges has started. The active players on campuses are IT companies, as expected. They are picking up people in large numbers. So far, at least 3000 offers would have been made in campuses across Kerala. The mood is euphoric as a whole. The first company on campus normally is the most prized one and that is the one that recruits the largest number of students. Many campuses have welcomed these companies by now.    

The most prepared of the students would have got placements already. The others would have received their first taste of real life.  While their friends are rejoicing, they are in no mood to because they are not placed yet and there is no sight of getting placed because they are ill prepared. People who thought their friends were like them are mistaken because they prepared and have a job now as compared to the ill prepared ones. Friends who were all along with you till date for all enjoyment activities have failed you by preparing and getting themselves a job at the first opportunity. Now you are left with only yourself to find out a job and do well in life. Many a time this realisation happens only after the golden opportunity is gone.                                                                                                                                                          

Do not worry. There are going to be lot of placement drives happening this year outside the campus. Only thing here is that the competition will be tougher and you will need to search out for the opportunity as opposed to the job coming your way as in the campus interviews. Understand that you need to prepare for you to get a job and that you are left with only yourself for help when it comes to professional matters.                                                                                                                                                                                              Go back to the drawing room. Make sure that you are prepared. Prepared; means that you have the necessary skills to be placed in the companies. Many companies consider your aptitude to be the most important assessed skill these days. It is evident from the evolution of the selection patterns over the years. Corporate does not believe in university evaluations any more. They want to find out if you have the basic skill to get trained. So look at developing logical capability. Take professional training if required.                                                                                                                                                                                         

The myth that the only important thing is understanding of technical subjects is perpetrated in the engineering colleges indiscriminately. But in case you follow that dictum, make sure that you are up with the best in terms of the understanding of both the new and old technologies and that you are good at it not only in paper but also in practice. This was what used to be followed earlier. This had automatically made sure that you had the necessary logical ability. Since this understanding is not a given anymore, due to manifold reasons, the companies test you on your logical skills. So be informed that this is the area of testing that will be there for sure and prepare accordingly, more than what your friends did, to find the job of your choice.                                                                                                                                           

The competition got just that little tougher for you. Take it as a challenge and prove to yourself, your friends and the world at large that you are good.